Wisdom teeth are the third molars in the back of the mouth. It’s common for wisdom teeth to be removed, but why does it happen?

If you’re experiencing any pain, it’s evident that removal may help. But if you’re not in pain, there are still different reasons that could lead to wisdom teeth removal.

There are three frequent reasons that you might need wisdom teeth removed:

1. Didn’t Erupt Properly

One of the more common reasons for wisdom teeth removal is that they didn’t erupt properly. An improper eruption could happen in a few ways.

First, the teeth may have grown in at an angle. The angle could make it difficult to chew food and clean your teeth properly.

Second, the teeth may have only partially emerged. If part of the tooth is still covered by gum, it’s harder to clean the tooth.

Finally, if your wisdom teeth don’t emerge at all, it can still cause problems. The tooth becomes “trapped” and may lead to issues like cysts.

Any of these improper eruptions could potentially lead to gum disease or an infection.

2. Crowds Other Teeth

Wisdom teeth may not have enough room to emerge. This could potentially crowd or damage nearby teeth. Your teeth may also experience pressure from wisdom teeth.

Even before the teeth erupt, we may be able to detect that this could be a future problem with x-rays.

3. Experiencing Pain

We touched on this briefly, but pain can be an indicator that your wisdom teeth need to be removed. Some other signs that it may be time to remove your wisdom teeth include:

• Difficulty opening mouth
• Tender or bleeding gums
• Stiffness in the jaw

What Now?

Even if you’re not experiencing wisdom teeth pain, you may want to consider removing wisdom teeth to prevent other issues. Our team can evaluate your wisdom teeth at your biannual check-up. Please make an appointment with us to talk about your oral health.